Vise



Sept. 24, 1935. R. s. cHAsE E-r Al. 2,015,645

VISE

v Filed lay 15, 1934 2 sheets-sheet 1 ntozs l Sept. 24, 1935. R. s.cHAsE ETAL, y 2,015,645

Pff"- VISE Filed May 15, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE VISE Robert S. Chase, Charles D. Luce, and Thomas A. Arnott,Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii Application May 15, 1934, Serial No..725,774

9 laims.

The invention relates to tools, particularly to vises, and has for itsgeneral object the provision of va novel vise in which the clampingaction upon the work is brought about hydraulically in contradistinctionto the usual screw means for shifting the position of the relativelymovable member or jaw.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a vise of this characterwith improved means for imparting relative movement to the jaws.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for transmitting theclamping force to the movable jaw at laterally spaced points so as toprevent the clamping surface thereof from canting or shifting angularlywith respect to the clamping surface of the fixed jaw.

A further object of the invention is to provide the vise with an openthroat so that a relatively long piece of work may be clamped therein ina vertical position.

A principal feature of the invention consists in providing a vise withlaterally spaced members which are connected at spaced points to one ofthe Jaws thereof and are adapted to be simultaneously operated forinducing relative movement of the jaws.

Another feature of the invention consists in providing the movable jawsof the vise with A laterally spaced members which are slidably mountedon the xed jaw thereof, said members being 'rigidly connected and beingadapted to be simultaneously moved by means carried by the fixed Jaw.

Still another feature of the invention consists in providing improvedmechanism for causing said jaws to open or move apart, said mechanisminvolving resilient means operatively interposed between the jaws and soarranged as to leave the throat of the vise unrestricted.

A further feature of the invention consists in providing a hydraulicvise with a ilo ting piston or ram which is operatively associatgd ofthe vise jaws and is cooperable with means carried by the other jawthereof, said piston being adapted to contact or abut said means butbeing otherwise independent thereof.

To the attainment of the foregoing and other objects and advantages, theinvention preferably consists in the details of construction and thearrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed.

and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view with one through thevise and the operating means therefor.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the vise. y

Figure 3 is a side elevation thereof with parts broken away.

Figure 4 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 4 4 ofFigure 2.

Figure 5 is an underside view of the vise.

Figure 6 is a horizontal section through the control valve mechanism,the view being taken 10 on the line 6*-6 of Figure l.

Figure 7 is a detail View of a part of the spring and one of theattaching means therefor.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the letter A designates asuitable support, such as 15 a bench, table or the like, upon which thevise itself` is mounted and beneath which is disposed a suitable pedalactuated pump mechanism for developing the necessary hydraulic pressure.

Thevise itself is represented as comprising a 20 body I0 which may veryconveniently be formed as a casting and which includes a base orattaching portion II through which pass bolts I 2 for the purpose of Ianchoring it to the support A. At its upper portion, this body is formedto provide 25 a relatively stationary jaw I3 which is preferably shapedin accordance with established practice in so far as the construction ofsuch tools is concerned. The intermediate portion of the body I0 isprovided or formed with a cavity I4 in which 30 is secured, in anypreferred manner, a cylinder I5I represented as having a reduced endportion I 6 formed with a small passage II for the initial escape of airwhen the cylinder is first filled with oil or other liquid. Of coursethis passage is 35,r

normally closed as by means of the screw plug I8. Extending through thesupport A, the base or attaching portion II and through a part of thebody I0 is an oil conducting tube I9 which connects with the forwardportion of the cylinder I5 40 and which is in communicating relation tothe interior thereof.

Cooperating with the relatively xed jaw I3 is the movable or outer jaw20 which may be of conventional shape and which has secured to its 45sides, as by screws 2l or the like, cheek plates 22 which are slidablyengaged with the sides of the intermediate portion of the body I 0, thesides of the body being preferably recessedv or grooved toprovideguideways 23' s`o as to permit sliding 50 movement of the cheekplates with respect to the body I0 while preventing any relative verti-'cal displacement. Rearwardly beyond the stationary portionof the vise,thecheek plates 22 f are connected by a transverse member 25 secured 55thereto in any desired manner, as, for instance, by screws or bolts 26.

Disposed within the cylinder I5 is a piston or ram 21 which is adaptedto abut or engage the transverse member 25 at a point substantiallymidway between the cheek plates. This piston may be conveniently 1termeda floating piston, since it is not connected or secured in any way tothe transverse member 25. Thus, the piston and transverse member 25 maymove relatively to each other in directions transverse of thelongitudinal axis of the piston, thereby insuring greater freedom ofmovement of all parts of the vise. rit its inner end, the piston mayadvantageously be equipped with suitable resilient cupped washers 28which may be secured in place by any preferred means, such as a bolt 29,the purpose of the washers being, of course, to eiect a liquid-tightjoint between the piston and cylinder to prevent oil leaking past thepiston when the vise is in use.

operatively interposed between the jaws of th vise is a coil tension.spring 30 for normally maintaining the jaws in open or spaced apartposition. This spring is preferably disposed within a recess 3| formedon the under side of the body portion I0 of the iixed jaw, being securedat one end to the body I0 and at the other to the transverse member 25.While it may be attached to these parts of the vise in any suitablemanner, it is preferred to employ attaching members 60 of the characterillustrated in detail in Figure 1. These members comprise a plateportion 6I provided with an opening 62 for receiving a securing boltl 63and a cylindrical plug-like portion 54 having a helically groovedexterior which is adapted to be threaded into the spring and ispreferably of slightly larger diameter than the inside diameter of thespring, so that it will be firmly gripped thereby. As shown in thedrawings, it is preferred to arrange the spring substantially parallelto the cheek plates 22, so that it will exert a force acting parallelwith the direction of movement of the latter and it is also preerred toattach the spring to lthe body portion Ill of the vise and thetransverse member 25 at points substantially midway between the cheekplates, so that the spring will exert equal forces on the plates incausing the movable jaw to move away from the fixed jaw. By locating thespring beneath the body portion of the vise, it is convenientlyprotected from injury or damage and, by connecting it to the bodyportion I0 and the transverse member 25 instead of to the body portionand the movable jaw, it will be seen that the throat of the vise is leftunrestricted, so that long pieces of work which are not of greater widththan the distance between the cheek plates may be clamped between thejaws in a substantially vertical position.

The operating means for the above described vise structure mayadvantageously comprise a pump mechanism adapted to be located at someconvenient point beneath the support A. 'I'his mechanism is hererepresented as comprising a body 32 formed with a chamber 33 within oneend of which is secured a valve body 34 connected by a pipe or tube 35with some suitable oil reservoir. The valve body 341 is formed with avalve seat adapted -to be closed by a ball 36 retained against unduedisplacement as by a transverse pin 31. Communicating with theintermediate portion of the chamber 33 is a lateral passage 38 intowhich is screwed one end of a pump barrel 39 within which is mounted forreciprocation a plunger 40 pivotally connected at 4I with a lever 42carrying a treadle or pedal 43 at one end and pivoted at its other end,as shown at 44, to an upstanding link 45 in turn pivoted at 46 betweenears 41 on the body 32. Leading from the inner end 5 of the chamber 33is a lateral passage 48 into which is screwed a fitting 49a havingconnected therewith a tube 50 connected by a coupling 5I with the tubeI9. The juncture of the chamber 33 with the lateral passage 48constitutes a valve 10 seat with which cooperates a ball 49 for thepurpose of preventing back flow of oil from the vise into the chamber33, at least under normal conditions.

sure within the cylinder I5 of the vise may be relieved or released, weprovide a member 52 attached to one side of the body 32 and containing anormally outwardly spring pressed pin 53 having a pointed end adapted tobe brought into en- 20 gagementwith the ball 49 for the purpose ofunseating the same. The outer end of this valve 53 has some suitablehead 55 thereon which might be kicked by the operator for the purpose ofreleasing the valve. It will be noted that the ball 49 is 25 locatedwithin a recess 56 of such size and shape as to permit the unseating ofthe ball, so that oil under pressure within thecylinder I5 may flowback, as will be described, to the oil reservoir.

In the operation of the device, it will be un- 30 derstood thatinitially, or normally, there is no pressure within the cylinder I5, sothat the spring 30 will act to maintain the jaws of the vise open. Atsuch time, the pump lever 42 is supposed to be in elevated position, asshown by dot and dash 35 lines in Figure-rl. The work, such as indicatedat W, is placed against the stationary jaw I3 and the operator thenplaces his foot upon the treadle 43 and depresses the same, therebymoving the lever 42 and plunger 40 downwardly. It is, of 40 course, tobe assumed that the entire system is initially filled with some suitableoil. this being the preferable liquid. When the treadle is moved down,the downward movement of the plunger 40 causes pressure to be exertedupon the oil with- 45 in the chamber 33 and this results in unseating ofthe ball valve 49, so that a charge of oil will pass into the tube 50 onits way to the vise. On the resultant upward movement of the lever 42,which will be caused bythe pressure or which 50 might be caused by anauxiliary spring, if such is found necessary, the valve 49 will seatwhile the suction produced within the chamber 33 will unseat the ball 35and draw in another charge of oil from the reservoir, through the pipe35, past 55 the valve 36 and into the chamber 33. When the treadle isagain depressed, this charge will be forced past the valve 49 and intothe tube 50. This is continued until the pressure builds up within thecylinder I5, whereupon the oil under pres- 60 sure reacting against thepiston or ram 21 will move it and consequently the cheek plates 22V and,therefore, the movable jaw 20 in such manner as to bring the movable jaw20 into engagement with the work W, which is thus held firmly 65clamped. The degree of pressure exerted by the jaws of the vise dependsupon the extent of pressure applied to the treadle 43 or, in otherwords, the number of reciprocatlons of the pump piston 40. When it isdesired to release the work, it is merely necessary for the operator tokick the head or button 55, so as to move the pin 53 inwardly and effectunseating of the check valve 49. At such a time, the ball 36 will dropdown out of obstructing relation ,to the passage through the valve body3l and the oil within the cylinder I5 may drain back through the tubesI9 and 50 into and through the chamber 33 and backthrough the pipe 35 tothe reservoir.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings,'it will beapparent that we have thus provided a very simply constructed andinexpenn sive vise which is operated by hydraulic pressure, but it willbe apparent to those skilled in the art that, by slight modification,the vise may be provided with other suitable operating means. Thoseskilled in the art will also appreciate that many features of the visehere disclosed are readily adaptable to vises of the screw type.

While we have shown and described the preferred embodiment of theinvention, it should be understood that the disclosure is merely anexemplification of the principles involved, as the right is reserved tomake all such changes in the details of construction as will Widen thefield of utility and increase the adaptability of the device, providedsuch changes constitute no departure from the spirit of the invention orthe scope of the claims hereunto appended.

This application is a continuation in part of our copending applicationSerial No. 701,696, filed December 9, 1933.

What we claim is:

1. A vise including fixed and movable jaws respectively having clampingfaces, yoke means having arms connected to the movable jaw andprojecting forwardly therefrom toward the fixed jaw, said arms beinglaterally spaced to provide a work receiving opening and said fixed jawhaving a body portieri provided with guideways for slidably receivingsaid arms, andl mechanism associated with the fixed jaw for cooperatingwith said yoke means to cause the movable jaw to approach the fixed jaw,the portion of the yoke means cooperable with said mechanism beingmovable away from the clamping `surface of the fixed jaw as said jawsapproach each other.

2. A vise including xed and movable jaws respectively provided withclamping faces, arms connected to the movable jaw, said arms beinglaterally spaced to provide a work receiving opening and said fixed jawhaving a body portion provided with guideways for slidably receivingsaid arms, and means spaced from said movable jaw and disposedrearwardly .of the clamping face of the fixed jaw rigidly connectingsaid arms, and means movable within the body portion of the fixed jawand cooperable with said rst named means at a point intermediate saidarms for causing the movable jaw to approach the fixed jaw.

3. A vise including fixed and movable jaws respectively provided withclamping faces, laterally spaced arms connected to the movable jaw,`said fixed jaw having a body portion provided on opposite sides withgrooves for slidably receiving said arms, a transverse member rigidlyconnecting the ends of the arms remote from the movable jaw. and meanscarried by the fixed jaw engageable with said transverse member forcausing the movable jaw to approach the fixed jaw, said transversemember being movable away from the fixed jaw as said jaws approach eachother.

4. A vise including fixed and movable jaws respectively having clampingfaces, arms connected to the movable jaw, said arms being laterallyspaced to provide a work receiving opening and the fixed jaw having abody portion provided with grooves aording guideways for slidablyreceiving said arms, means at the rear of said body portion rigidlyconnecting said arms, said body portion having a cavity intermediatesaid arms,

and a fluid pressure operated piston movably 5 mounted in vsaid cavity,said piston being movable rearwardly of the body portion for cooperatingwith said means to cause the movable jaw to approach the fixed J'aw.

5. A vise including fixed and movable jaws, lat- 10 erally spaced armsconnected to the movable jaw, said fixed jaw having a body portionprovided with guideways for slidably receiving said arms, means disposedrearwardly of the clamping face of the fixed jaw rigidly connecting saidarms, and 15 a fluid operated piston movably mounted in said bodyportion, said piston being movable relatively to said means and beingadapted to abut the latter to move it rearwardly` with respect to thefixed jaw for causing the movable jaw to ap- 20 proach said fixed jaw.

6. A vise including xed and movable jaws respectivelyhaving clampingfaces, mechanism for actuating said movable jaw to approach the fixedjaw, means rigid with said movable jaw, said 25 fixed jaw being disposedintermediate said means and the movable jaw, and a tension springconnected to said means and to the fixed jaw for causing the movable jawto move away from the latter. 30

7. A vise including fixed and movable jaws respectively having clampingfaces, said fixed jaw having a body portion extending rearwardly fromits clamping'face, mechanism for actuating said movable jaw to cause itto approach said fixed 35 jaw, and means rigid with said movable jaw,said fixed jaw being disposed intermediate said means and the movablejaw, and a tension spring disposed beneath a portion of said bodyportion and connected to the latter and to said means for 40 causing themovable jaw to move away from the fixed jaw.

8. A vise including fixed and movable jaws respectively provided withclamping faces, laterally spaced arms connected to the movable jaw, saidfixed jaw having a body portion provided with guideways for slidablyreceiving said arms, means disposed rearwardly of the clamping face ofthe fixed jaw rigidly connecting said arms, mechanism associated withthe fixed jaw and cooperable with 50 said means at a point intermediatesaid arms for causing the movable jaw to approach the fixed jaw, and atension spring connected to said means and said body portion for causingthe movable jaw to move away from said fixed jaw. 55

9. A vise involvinga fixed jaw provided with laterally spaced slidablearms projecting forwardly and rearwardly therefrom, a movable jawrigidly secured to and carried by said arms adjacent their forward ends,means connecting 60 said arms adjacent their rearward ends, a fluidoperated piston movably associated with said fixed jaw, said pistonbeing movable rearwardly of the latter for cooperating with said meansto cause the movable jaw to approach the fixed jaw, and a tension springconnected to said means and to said fixed jaw for causing the movablejaw to move away from the fixed jaw.

ROBERT S. CHASE.. CHARLES D. LUCE. THOMAS A. ARNO'I'I'.

